The fiscal conservatives suggest that in a year when the salary cap could reach $50-million, more teams will be governed by a second set of restrictions: Their own budgets.
If enough teams cap their payrolls in the low 40s, it may be that the anticipated free-agent frenzy will fizzle in the same way the NHL trading game failed to take off at the recent entry draft.
A more broadly held view, though, is that the old rules of supply and demand will once again rule the market.
There are probably 10 teams with the need and the cash to make a free-agent splash. And if the expected bidding war for the aforementioned four players gets overheated, the feeling is that someone will overpay to get their man.
In fact, principals of both sides of the discussion - agents and general managers - question whether the term overpay applies any more.

The Sabres continued their tightlipped policy.
“I think that the less said the better right now, and we’ll go from there,” managing partner Larry Quinn said.
Briere is said to have received only one brief phone call. Drury’s agent, Mark Witkin, declined to update his client’s status. The Sabres’ exclusive negotiating rights to both players are set to expire. The other 29 teams can extend contract offers at one minute past noon Sunday.
Drury may have a chance to go back to where his career started if the Sabres maintain their current negotiating pace. An industry source said Tuesday the Colorado Avalanche is expected to bid for their third-round pick in the 1994 draft. Drury won the Stanley Cup…

If Hannan has waited this long, however, it’s likely he wants to test the free-agent waters. Friends say he is not an immense fan of Coach Ron Wilson, which might affect the decision. The Sharks might be willing to give Hannan roughly the same money as Rivet - $14 million over four years - but that might not be enough, because the free-agent market has few quality defenseman.
Best guess: Hannan has played his last game for the Sharks, which is too bad. A great teammate and often a shut-down defender, Hannan played an important role in the Sharks’ ascendancy from mediocrity to Cup contender….
“People call me all the time about all the guys on our team who’ll be unrestricted free agents a year from now,” Wilson said. “And I don’t blame them. . . . I’d like to keep Patty. He had one bad series against Detroit and everybody seems to want to dump on him.”

How much do you think top NHL centres Daniel Briere, Scott Gomez and Chris Drury are going to be offered when the doors open for business and agents start fielding calls? “I hear Drury might get $8 to 8.5 million a year,” said one NHL executive, who did not want to be identified.
With the knowledge that the salary cap might be be about $50.4 million US next season, is Drury worth $8 million? Although he’s a good leader, scores big goals in the playoffs and is a strong team player, the Buffalo Sabres centre has never garnered 70 points in a season. Nevertheless, some GM might show the 30-year-old the money.

Martin Brodeur may again wear the crown as the NHL’s top goaltender, but that doesn’t mean those in authority are willing to listen attentively to his views on the game.
The New Jersey Devils goaltender, who won his third Vezina Trophy two weeks ago, has abruptly resigned from the league’s competition committee after 18 months of frustration….
“I didn’t feel I was making a difference, and I hate wasting my time when it doesn’t seem to matter,” he said. “I brought up a lot of different points, suggested different ideas like a bigger crease, but nothing’s changed. The protection of goaltenders has just become ridiculous.
“It’s hard when nothing’s improving and your name is associated with it. I didn’t want to live with that.”

Good for us. Scott Bowman has apparently been chatting back and forth with Toronto, most likely via instant message with LOL’s and BFF’s and ROFLMAO’s and little Generation Y emoticons. But when the time came for a decision, the Leafs decided Scotty was asking too much. He wanted to tip over that Toronto apple cart and start fresh.

Bowman, who has never been one to mince words, was prepared to bring in a young executive as the general manager in waiting. He even had discussions with at least one person about the position and discussed the roster of talent with many around the NHL.

You have to think Gary Bettman reads pretty much anything NHL-related. Let’s go ahead and establish that. Keeping that in mind, let me make one recommendation. Don’t just read this article from The Emperor. Digest it. Ruminate on it. And use it as concrete evidence that the hockey bloggers are the best group of friends this league has.

Access, Gary. Full access to every team. Three bloggers per team with the same opportunities as the MSM. The results can only bring more exposure to a sport that sorely needs it.

Wayne Gretzky, is the latest and greatest to put his name on a Niagara wine, it was announced in Toronto Tuesday.
Wayne Gretzky Estate Wines, emblazoned with the No. 99 on the label, the number Gretzky wore while piling up Stanley Cups and scoring titles during his amazing run in the NHL, is a partnership with Creekside Estate Winery in Jordan Station.

I don’t know how I never heard of these guys before, but 2 Man Advantage is producing some entertaining video judging from the newest episode of their show, released yesterday. Thankfully, they dropped us an email about it.

In this episode, the guys interview one-time NHL GM Neil Smith and get some entertaining scoops on the Rangers, the origins of fantasy hockey and a wee bit of trash talk.

I swear this isn’t meant to be an advertisement for Gatorade—we’re not selling it around here now or anything, honest! But I thought it was interesting. The following was found in a press release just issued, and is probably relevant to a lot of athletes in high energy sports:

In advance of the 2006/07 NHL hockey season, Anaheim Ducks goalie Jean Sebastien Giguere was in search of a solution to combat the dizziness, cramping and fatigue he felt following games.

- Giguere suffered from cramping and dizziness after most games as a result of heavy sweating. Losing close to 12-15 lbs of fluid every game, Giguere was often dehydrated and susceptible to serious injury and decreased performance.

- Giguere’s salt and hydration status was monitored during an intense session on the stationary bike. Following analysis of his sweat, Giguere learned that although he was drinking water he was not replacing the electrolytes lost in his sweat. To stay hydrated and replenish his electrolytes, the GSSI scientists recommended he drink a properly formulated sport drink, like Gatorade before, during and after a game or workout.

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